Psalms 26 & 27

Introduction

After you’ve done that, I encourage you to be turning your Bibles to the book of Psalms, and we’ll be looking at both the 26th and the 27th Psalm this morning. Psalm 26 and Psalm 27. To those who we do have visiting with us, we thank you for joining us as we’ve come together on this day to once again to proclaim the praises of our God, to worship his holy name, and to remember just how gracious our God is to us and what he has done for us in the giving of his son. And I appreciate the comments of Brother Duke and uh about these lessons from the Psalms. And as one who’s never really preached much from the Psalms, I must tell you that I too am enjoying this immensely, being able to read these passages, be able to put some time and effort and study into these passages, and to, if nothing else, begin our day of worship rightly.

As we come and we think about what God has done for his people in times past, and the same assurance that God will continue to do the same for his people today and on through the future. In Psalms 26 and 27, we have two Psalms that seem that they would come from different times of David’s life. Is this yeah, it’s on okay. I just don’t sound as loud as I normally do. That’s okay, I guess. Psalm 26 has more to do with a personal reflection of looking at his own character. And the 27th Psalm is another time of distress, it would seem in the life of David, as his enemies are around him, and he has this faith in God that God would not allow him to be overcome by his enemies.

But they are tied together by a common theme. And if you read those Psalms this week and are in your weekly Bible reading, then you know what that theme is. In verse 8 of Psalm 26, O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. And then in verse 4 of Psalm 27, one thing I have asked from the Lord that I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in his temple. The common theme in both Psalms is this longing to be in the presence of God. This longing to be in his habitation, where his glory dwells, to dwell even in his house.

And so I’d like to shape our thoughts around that idea this morning as we look at the Psalms. And first let’s explore why would someone want to dwell in the house of the Lord. First off, I think we can understand from the passage, well, certainly in the time of David, the tabernacle, the tabernacle which had been erected in the closing chapters of Exodus, and if you were doing the weekly Bible reading, then you even read those passages this week. And you know how in the closing verses of Exodus chapter 40, you read of how the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And of course, that physical tent, that movable tent was where God’s presence was with his people. And in Psalm 26, you get this idea of David preparing himself to go and to worship at the tabernacle, and that representing the dwelling place or the habitation of God.

But then you read something like Psalm 27 and verse 4, and we’ll read it once again. I have asked, one thing I have asked from the Lord that I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord, to meditate in his temple. And then you go on and read what he says, even in the verses after that. For in the day of trouble, he will conceal me in his tabernacle. In the secret place of his tent, he will hide me, he will lift me up on a rock. He uses all these phrases, temple. Of course, the temple had not yet been constructed, but the idea of the temple was well known.

But he refers to the dwelling place of the Lord as a temple. He also refers to it as a tabernacle, which would have been the physical structure in the time of David. But he also talks about the rock, being dwell lifted up on the rock. And the idea seems to be in Psalm 27, not just of coming into the physical house of the Lord, but even what the Apostle Paul would bring our minds to time and time again in his New Testament letters, of how God’s people are his true dwelling place. In our 1 Corinthians class here in the auditorium on this past Wednesday night, we talked about 1 Corinthians chapter 3. And the warning in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verses 16 and 17 of one who would destroy the temple of God, that God would destroy him.

And the context of that passage is the temple of God is God’s people as a whole, the church of God. But then when we’ll come to 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and in verse 19, we hear about our bodies being his temple. And so even individually we are where God dwells among men today. And of course, that being in Paul’s mind when he says in Ephesians 2 and in verse 22, that in whom we are being built, that is in Christ, we are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. This idea finds throughout the New Testament that it is God’s people where God dwells. And that seems to be the idea that David is longing for in Psalm 27. Not just to come in the physical presence of the tabernacle, but to always be in a dwelling with the Lord.

1. Because He Loves the Lord

To always be in his presence, to never be cast out of that presence. Why? Well, first, of course, there is love. He wants to be in the dwelling place of God. He wants to be in God’s presence because he loves the Lord. When we go to Psalm 26 and verse 8, where he says, O Lord, I love the habitation of your house. If you read the two verses that are immediately before that, you’ll note what he has come to the house of the Lord to do. He says in verse 6, I shall wash my hands in innocence, and I will go about your altar, O Lord, that I may proclaim with a voice of thanksgiving and declare all your wonders. That is a picture of a man who has come to the tabernacle of God to worship.

The idea of the washing of the hands, where there were the labor was there and the water that the priests would use to purify themselves as they served in the tabernacle of God. And the idea is David says, I have come, and I have washed my hands in innocence. I have come before you, O Lord, as pure. And I have gone about your altar. Not that David himself could offer the sacrifices, but he has brought his sacrifices to God. But why does he bring those sacrifices of God? Just because God commanded this is what I’m supposed to do. He comes to God. He washes his hands in innocence. He goes about the altar of the Lord singing psalms and praises of thanksgiving. David is a picture of one who’s come to God to worship him.

Not because he’ll get in trouble if he doesn’t. Not because he read in a book somewhere that this is what God requires. Yes, there is that. But he does it because he loves the Lord. I love your habitation, O Lord, he says in verse 8. It’s where David longs to be. It’s where he wants to be. Because he says also in verse 8, that is where your glory dwells. He came and praised his God. And he wanted to be where God’s glory dwells. Then you go to the 27th Psalm in verse 4. The same principle is there. One thing I have asked. One thing I have asked. If there’s ever a statement of purpose, that is it. One thing I have asked. You know, if you were ever to be asked, what was your one wish?

What would you wish for? All the things that you could have, and our minds good, all kinds of physical things, and maybe we’d even think about something noble of good health for people, or maybe we’d think of something of world peace. That’s not what David’s asking for. One thing I have asked, and that I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. And note what he says he will do in the presence of the Lord. To behold the beauty of the Lord. To behold the beauty of the Lord. The idea of his presence and considering the person of God. And then to meditate, or your translation may read there, inquire, to meditate or inquire in his temple.

2. In His Presence Is Where I Am Safe

The focus there being on the will of God. David said, I long for this. This is all that I ask, and this is what I shall seek. That I will live in the presence of God all my days that I may do two things. Think on Him, His beauty, His presence, and to think on His will. Again, that is not the words of someone doing this out of obligation. That is not either the words of someone doing this out of mere habit. This is longing. This is my utmost desire. This is the only thing I want in life to be in your presence. The second reason as to why he longs to be in the presence of the Lord is because there is benefit to man to be in the presence of the Lord.

The 27th Psalm begins with a declaration of faith. That here David recognizes that because of his faith in God, he will not be disappointed, that God will save him. Verses 1 through 3, the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life, whom shall I dread? When evil leavers, when evildoers come upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumble and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear. Though war arise against me, in spite of this, I shall be confident. He has great faith. That my God will protect me. And even though my enemies abound, and it seems like they are being successful, they will fall. And then we come to this statement that this is the one thing that I ask to dwell in the presence of God.

And then you read verses 5 and 6, and you see also that he recognizes that to be in the presence of the Lord is to be safe. In the day of trouble, he will conceal me in his tabernacle. In the secret place of his tent, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted above all my enemies, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. He wants to be in the presence of the Lord because he loves him, but he also recognizes that is where I am safe. As I look out, my enemies abound, my enemies are just progressing in their wickedness, and their desires to overthrow me, and their desires to work against God, I recognize that he will hide me in his tent.

3. To Exist in Continuing Hope

That he will set me up safely on the rock. And so I long to be in his presence. Brethren, if we can’t pray that every day as we look at the headlines, then we’re missing something. We are missing one of the great comforts that God offers us a longing to be in his presence and a recognition that that is where safety always has existed, and safety will always exist. And it will not exist apart from that. In Him alone are we safe. And David recognizes this. But then a third reason is because to long to be in the presence of the Lord is to exist in continuing hope. Psalm 27 is a fascinating passage because you begin with this declaration of great faith. David recognizes I know the Lord is my light.

He is my salvation. I don’t have any reason to fear. And I long to be in his presence. Then you come to verse 7. And it’s almost as if, and I’ll go back to what we said last week when dealing with the imprecatory Psalms. Oftentimes when we read these Psalms, we are not just reading inspiration, we are reading also the soul of the psalmist being poured out. So he’s already stated that he has this great faith in God, but then you come in verse 7. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice. And be gracious to me and answer me. When you said, seek my face, my heart said to you, your face, O Lord, I shall seek. Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. For my father and my mother have forsaken me. And your translation may read there, that if they were to forsake me, so it’s unclear as if David’s saying they have or should they, but the point is, the Lord will take me up. Teach me your way, O Lord. Lead me in a level path because my foes do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me and such as breathe out violence. What do we have here? We have a man of great faith, and yet it’s a man of great faith who’s struggling with fear.

That what if I was rejected from the presence of God? What if the one thing that my soul longs for, to be in his presence, to have that safety and that protection? But what if the Lord did reject me? You said, Oh, Lord, seek you, and I’ve been seeking you. And Lord, you’ve been there, but please do not reject me. Please do not turn away from me. And I think you and I could oftentimes pray the same thing. That we have faith in our God. We know our Lord loves us, and we love him. And yet it does not stop the fears from coming in. And even the greatest fear of what if I were to be rejected by my God. But the final statement is one of hope.

In verses 13 and 14. Again, because of the differing manuscripts. The New American Standard reads, I would have despaired unless I had believed, but you may have a translation that simply reads, Surely I believed. But the point is, here is the faith that I continue to have. If I didn’t have this faith, then here’s what would have happened to me. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord. And sometimes in reading the Psalms, and you have these psalms of desperation, you have these pleas to God, and it’s almost as if God is answering at the end.

The Lord has said, the Lord has said he’ll do this. And you have this response from God that the person, the psalmist, can take comfort in. There is no response from God in the psalm. God never speaks in this psalm. This is solely David praying to his God. And what we see here is David has a faith like you and I have to have faith. Some have described it as a naked faith. There is no response there. It’s just, will you trust in the Lord? And David declares here, I will trust in the Lord. I would have despaired had I not. And so I’ll wait for him. What a declaration of faith and declaration of hope that you and I need to imitate.

Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord. Why would one long to be in the presence of God? Because one loves him, and that’s his heart’s desire. Because one recognizes that in his presence and only in his presence am I truly going to be safe? And because one wants to have hope here, even in this life, and even in the midst of our worst times, our greatest fears, our greatest tribulations, we long to have hope. Because if I dwell in his presence now, then I will continue to dwell in his presence for all eternity. We’re not at the end of the sermon yet, but I would certainly ask you, why would you long to be in the Lord’s presence?

You’ll know I did not ask you why you would you come to worship? We are in the presence of the Lord here as we come to worship. But we’re talking about living in the Lord’s presence 24 7 every day of our life. Why would you long for that? Let it be for the reasons of the psalmist. He does not long for any reward. He does not long for any mansion built on a cloud. He longs simply to be in the presence of his God, to have safety, security, and hope all his days. And God has not changed. And what God is promising us today is what David exulted in long before. But then the question might come well, how could one know that he could, in fact, dwell in the house of the Lord?

4. How One Could Dwell in the House of the Lord

And for that I’d go back to Psalm 26. Psalm 26 is, I think, conveniently divided up into three main parts. We’ve already dealt with verses 6 and through 8 here where David has come into the presence of the Lord, and again, in that idea of coming to the tabernacle to give his praise to God, to worship him. He longs to be in his habitation. He loves being in the habitation of God. That’s where God’s glory dwells. But before he gets to that, he talks about his character of how he was coming to the Lord. And so he says in verse 1, vindicate or judge me. For I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Examine me, O Lord, and try me.

Test my mind and my heart. For your loving kindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor will I go with pretenders. I hate the assembly of evildoers. I will not sit with the wicked. Now, do not take from this that David is claiming sinlessness in his life. Because all you have to do is read some other Psalms, Psalm 51, for instance, to recognize that no, David would say he was far from sinless in his life. But what is he saying? Here is why I’m coming to the presence of the Lord, because here is the manner of life in which I have lived. I have walked in my integrity. Sinless? No. Did he ever get off path?

Yes. But the idea of that walk, his manner of life, his manner of living is one that was always in sincerity and devotion to God. And that’s why David has always been called that man after God’s own heart. Not that he never sinned. But here’s a heart that longed for the Lord, who loved the Lord. And so he says, Here’s how I’m coming to the Lord in integrity, in trust. You might say that the grace of God is not mentioned in these first five verses. It will be mentioned at the end of the Psalm. But it’s implied here. I trust in the Lord. That trust does not waver. I am coming to the presence of the Lord because I trust in him. I trust in him that he is gracious to me, that he will save me.

But that does not mean that David did not have to live a life worthy of, you might say, or one that would receive the grace of God. And so he says, and he even longs in verse 2. How many of us would pray this? Examine me. Try me. Test me.

I know in my own life I’ve lived too many times like I was trying to hide from God. I hope God doesn’t see that. I hope God didn’t know about that. You know, we we know in our minds that that’s not true, but we live in such a way that we’re acting as if, well, maybe God didn’t see that, or maybe God wouldn’t notice that. Note what David says here. Examine, test, try. He knows when he comes before God, all is going to be laid bare. And so he recognizes as he comes to God, he even longs for God to search him out. Longs for God, as he says in other Psalms, to point out anything in me that offends, lead me along the path of everlasting life.

He’s longing for God to do that. Examine me, God, test me, try me, and see what I’ve been doing in my life, for your loving kindness, verse 3, is before my eyes. And I have walked in your truth, and I did not sit with deceitful men, nor will I go with pretenders. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. If that’s not true of David, then God’s going to know, because God will examine, test and try.

How will one come to the presence of the Lord? By following him. By laying our hearts bare before him, allowing him to examine, test, and try. And then when God points out to us through his word that here’s where you’re lacking, here’s where you’re falling short, then because we’ve set his loving kindness before us, because we follow his truth, because we do not want to be associated with evil, we will do those things that he has said. We will follow him, and we can have every assurance that even as David did, that he could come into the habitation of the Lord. One does not lightly come into the presence of God. One does not come into the presence of God without giving himself to God first.

And that’s what David is saying here. I’ve given myself to you. That’s why I love your habitation. That’s why I’m coming to you, singing my psalms of thanksgiving and praise. That’s how one must come to God. And that’s how one must stay with God. Verse 9, he says, Do not take my soul away along with sinners, nor my life with men of bloodshed. He’s now come into the presence of God. He has stayed his love for the habitation of God. But he says, Don’t take me away. Don’t remove me from your presence as you do with those who sin, with those who shed blood, and whose hand is wicked schemes, and whose right hand is full of bribes. David recognizes that those who live in such a way cannot be in the presence of God, and they would surely never last in the presence of God.

So, what does David commit himself to do? As for me, I shall walk in my integrity. I’m just through a little comparison here. What did he say in verse 1? I have walk.

What’s David saying? Up to this point, O Lord, I have walked in this manner. And what does he commit himself to do? I shall continue to walk in this manner. I have walked in my integrity. And now he commits himself to the Lord and says, I shall walk in my integrity. It’s a statement to continue to follow in the path of the Lord, to never leave them. Redeem me and be gracious to me. And all this, don’t take it that David is anyway saying that he earned his spot in the Lord’s house. As he said back in verse 3, it’s your loving kindness that’s before my eyes. And now here in verse 11, he prays that the Lord would redeem him and be gracious to him.

He recognizes that to be in the Lord’s house is in fact a gift of God. But he also recognizes that that gift, that gift, requires him to live in such a way so as to receive it. And so what he states, to remain in your presence of the Lord, I shall walk in my integrity. And he asks the Lord to redeem him and to be gracious. And so the Psalm ends again with a triumphant note of one who recognizes that he will remain in the presence of the Lord. My foot stands not worried about stumbling. He’s not worried that he would fall away. My foot stands on a level place. It’s the idea of stability, the idea of knowing where he is. My foot stands on a level place.

Conclusion

In the congregations, I shall bless the Lord. He knows because of the grace of God, his loving kindness, and because of committing himself to walk in integrity of his heart, to love the Lord truly, that he will remain in the presence of the Lord. Would you like to be in the presence of the Lord? Then come to him with an integrity in your heart, trusting in him, committing yourself to repent of your wrongdoing, to follow his truth, and to accept the grace that he has offered in the sacrifice of his son. And you can love to be in the habitation of his house as well. You can long and with confidence say, I will be in the house of the Lord forever. Can we aid you in some way?

The moment you come as we stand and as we sing.

I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning time.

I don’t mean that you would have to say it in verbatim words, but the point, the thought of Psalm 27 is certainly worthy of our praise to God and our prayers and devotion to Him even now. And so I’d ask you to bow in prayer with me as we pray, even Psalm 27. The Lord is our light and our salvation. Whom shall we fear? The Lord is the defense of our life. Whom shall we dread? When evildoers come upon us to devour our flesh, our adversaries and our enemies, they stumble and fall. And though a host encamp against us, our heart will not fear. Though war rise against us, in spite of this, we shall be confident. One thing we have asked from the Lord, and that we seek, that we may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our life.

To behold the beauty of the Lord, to meditate in his temple. For in the day of trouble, you will conceal us in your tabernacle. In the secret place of your tent you will hide us, and you will lift us up on a rock. And now our heads will be lifted above our enemies all around us. And we will offer in your tent sacrifices with shouts of joy, and we will sing, yes, we will sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when we cry, and be gracious to us and answer us. When you said, Seek my face, our heart said to you, Your face, O Lord, we shall seek. Do not hide your face from us. Do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been our help.

Do not abandon us or forsake us, O God of our salvation. When others surround when others forsake us, the Lord will take us up. Teach us your way, O Lord. Lead us in a level path. The cause of our foes. Do not deliver us over to the desire of our adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against us and such as breathe out violence. Truly we would have despaired unless we had believed that we would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord. Amen.

Yeah, that was my thing, but I’m not gonna have to buy it.

Well, let me say good morning to one and all as we are about to continue our studies in First Corinthians. Josh, do we have any more books?

All right.

God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it’s a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself, for I know nothing against myself, yet I am not judged by this, but he who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from the Lord. Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of another g of one against the other.

For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? You are already full, you’re already rich. You have reigned as kings without us, and indeed I could wish that you did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles last, as men condemned to death. For we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are distinguished, but we are dishonored. To the present hour we hunger and thirst.

We are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless. We labor working with our hands, being reviled, we bless, being persecuted we endure. Being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as filth of the filth of the world, the offscoring of all things until now. I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who will who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

Now some are puffed up as though I were not coming to you, but I will come to you shortly if the Lord wills, and I will know not the word of those who are puffed up but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod? Or in love and the spirit of gentleness. Paul had been talking about the wisdom of God versus that of men, and how they should not glory in the abilities of men to persuade others, but in Jesus Christ and the message of the cross, which is the power of God to us who are being saved. Now, here in these first few verses, he wanted them to take a look at himself and Apollos.

This is how he he wanted them to see him. He says, Let a man so consider us as servants. In the previous chapter, he used the same term in chapter three and verse five. He said, There are ministers through whom the Corinthian believes, believed. Also, he wanted them to look at them as farmers, those who plant the seed, those who water. From around verse 3, mate, chapter 3, 9 to 12. He wanted them to look at himself and Apollos as builders, people who are building. And here, yes, he’s saying servants again.

And what he used here in chapter 4, this term servants comes from that Greek word who pay rates, having to do with it with someone who is an under war. This brother Frank Himmel, he he puts it this way. If we think of the church as a ship, the preacher is not the captain, nor even the first mate. But preachers are like the slaves down on the on the bottom of the boat, laboring, rowing against the tide. And that was the idea that Paul wanted them to see here. He says also that they’re to be looked upon as stewards, stewards of God, stewards of the mysteries of God. They were to be seen as managers of what God has revealed. The things they preach and teach, these things do not originate with them.

But they’re only teaching or preaching what God wanted them to. And the main thing about being stewards is that one must be faithful. One must be trustworthy. It’s not about the eloquence of the speaker. It’s not so much about how many people are following what he says. But the most important thing is he faithfully doing the master’s will.

And the most important thing, as I said, of a steward, is that the steward is found faithful.

That designed the steward would apply that too. It didn’t matter, didn’t you like them or or anything like that. It just mattered what he’s faithful with the master of children, teaching them what he’s supposed to teach them and supervising them. I don’t really think well on Paul’s everything here. The Christians don’t like him, okay.

God placed all over them in a sense, so he just has to be faithful with the master. So what the master has given. True.

Mm-hmm. Uh almost a tax master as far as taking them, keeping them straight, or making them move in the right direction, whether they like it or not. That’s what the law was to be used to write up and right. And it’s a very important thing.

I don’t even judge the seven. Mm-hmm. To me, that verse is so applicable to us today that we need to listen to them. So we are so steered by what we might say about us to think about us, and even what we think we could say about ourselves.

Right. Well about being all right.

Yes, as verse three three to five. He’s he’s saying, you know, God, God is the one who will judge. Knowing, I mean, man is fallible. Paul was aware of that, he’s not too worried about pleasing men per se. As he is about pleasing the one. God who knows even the motives of the heart. Now, this this kind of judgment, even in, I’m thinking of Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 9 and 10, when uh Jeremiah, God says that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things. Who can know it? And he says, I the Lord search the hearts, and he will give reward accordingly. It is God who knows the very motives of our hearts. Now, is Paul saying here that even we we ought not to make judgments so far as right and wrong?

You know, there are times people might be living in sin blatantly, and they will look at you and say, I mean, who are you to judge me? I mean, is he saying here that we ought not to make any judgment at all? I mean, I I really don’t think so. Even in the the next the next chapter, Paul will be there making judgments. It’s it’s interesting at times as you you study and look at certain things. Previously, and when he says, I will not even judge myself, verse three. But with me, it’s a very small thing that I should be judged by you. When I looked at those words, the first two mention of the word judge, it’s more like a who are you to question me?

Who are you to examine me? But when he says, therefore, judge nothing before the time. You’re leaving this kind of judgment now to God who knows even the motives of our heart. And that that word, that that second, that not second, but the last mention of the word judge, it’s the same judge that is used, let’s say, in John 12, 48, where Jesus says, the words that I’ve spoken to you, the same are going to judge you in the last day. So this kind of judgment, we’re to leave for God, because He’s the one who knows even the motives of our hearts. Any other questions or comments at this time? I’d like to relate a little bit to the stewardship aspect. I mean, sometimes I feel that maybe we’re not exalting the word of God in way to make sure that it may be right and never mean.

I think I’m hearing that in the stewardship aspect of it. The word of God is valuable, as we colour is available, the power of God and salvation, all those things.

And so that the judgments of men that fight over so many things. The rightness of death or the whatever. Paul is not concerned about those things. What he is concerned about is uh this likeness of God be given to us.

And uh and as you say, we are the one to judge. We we’re gonna judge according to ourselves, but not too highly. Yeah. And there there is also a sense in which Paul was saying, you know, I I know of nothing in myself, but he’s not even relying on that. A sense that, yes, so far as his conscience is concerned, man, he has done everything right before God. But he’s not even relying on that. So the our consciences will not be the final guide as to whether we are right or wrong before God. It’s whether or not we’re following his word. Jeffrey.

Oh, not the way it is believed the consideration.

Now in chapter six, not chapter six, but verse six to thirteen.

Well, we ought to be lifted up in pride. But he’s saying that they have become fools, fools for Christ. Now, these things. These things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos. When he says these things, I wonder what things. And I would think it’s all that he has been mentioning before. He started talking about the division. And the fact that this came about through man’s wisdom, where people were elevating one above the other. And the point that the gospel is not just another of man’s philosophy. But this is really the true wisdom of God. And for what purpose? These things and for what purpose? And he gives he gives the purpose. That you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written.

That none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. Clearly, we see here that there are differences in abilities. All of us have different abilities given by God. So who are we to be puffed up as though, you know who we are, what we have originate within us. I think it’s it’s one area here where we can see to that. We we have to appreciate the differences. But maybe I’m I’m getting a little too far ahead of myself. Let’s let’s let’s think more what Paul is saying here.

Well, when you go back to uh you see in verse 6, these names, then he says figuring the transfer to himself and Apollo. So if you go back to chapter one, in chapter one around verse 12, he said, now I say this, that each of you says I’m a Paul, I’m a police. So he’s laying out here, excuse me. He’s laying out the argument in chapter one, and he now comes back to this chapter, which if then he says where that you may learn in us. In other words, if I would say I’m Paul and Walkot, or I’m Paul and Black, the wisdom of man might allow you to be puffed up, to be arrogant, to be conceited, and what have you. But I think what I understand is Apollos and I, we take these things all through you.

And guess what? We’re not going to be puffed up about it. We’re not going to be arrogant because we’re judged by God. That’s where our glory comes from. And we’ll let the rest be here as well. And for me, I understand that’s kind of what he’s telling us here. Um what could be divine. He’s taking that on, and they learn from love and how we deal with it as true followers of Christ. Yeah. And and you’re you’re right with that. He’s bringing them back to that point. Because, yes, that started with, oh, I am of Apollos, I am of Paul, I am of Peter. Wherein these guys were not preaching a different gospel. But people were, if you want to say, riding on the backs of these, the apostles, and puff puffing up themselves as though they’re something.

Alright? And he would he will get more into that as he as he writes. There in chapter one and verse 26, if we just go back there quickly.

But you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. And he goes into something here in chapter 4. He says, but using the irony, of course, of this, you’re full, you’re rich, you’re reigning as kings when compared to us the apostles in the eyes of the world. They were seen as being wise, being strong, being distinguished, having everything they need. They need it. So there are many many might be highly regarded in the world as proclaimers of the gospel. They claim to be preaching in the name of Christ. However, sometimes they teach things that are not revealed in the God in the Word of God. And they’re being puffed up.

It was something like that that was happening with these brethren. Where this person is saying, you know, I’m of Apollos, but mixing the worldly knowledge, worldly wisdom, to be popped up in the eyes of men. And look at the apostles. Where Paul is saying, you know, now look at us. We’re beaten. We’re we’re the offscoring of the world. So that doesn’t sound right. In the eyes of the world, here you are, you’re considered wise. And you’re saying, I’m of I’m of Paul. When you look at Paul, Paul is right at the bottom. He’s he’s being dragged through the dirt. He’s being persecuted. As he said, we’re like we’re we’re last of all the people, in line to to die, being made a spectacle. What was happening during this time of the world?

When you’re talking about being a spectacle, it’s like you’re fighting the gladiators or putting in the Coliseum with all the animals tearing you apart. These are the things that were happening. And you’re saying you’re of Paul. That was that was the irony of that.

They had that gap on the heart. You know, they could take the people that they had captured at the end. I would like to find out. Oh yeah.

Oh yeah. You know, in in our workbook, Bob had made a point that, you know, one of the the lesson we can learn from this is that here, even men who are inspired, we ought not to follow them if they’re not preaching or teaching the word of God. Paul Paul is making that point. He talks about in in even in chapter one and verse 18 that the the power is in the gospel of Christ. It’s not in a man’s ability to persuade people. And we likewise. You know, it’s it’s easy for us many times. I don’t think this has changed whatsoever. Where someone is quite eloquent and they they speak in such a convincing manner and it’s like you find it hard to think, okay, this man is not preaching the truth.

But we have to to rise above that. And also, even as we live our lives as individuals, how we see in in the world. Are we the I guess the point here, once we are going to be followers of Christ, because the world’s wisdom is so much different to that of Christ, and we are follow but followers of Christ, how do we compare to the world? How do the world look at us? Are we up in the upper echelons of those who are considered wise? Do we live our lives just like the world? What I’m seeing here, it’s it’s hard for the two to be together. So if I mean we we we’re in the world, we’re part of the world, but not of the world.

Is that a clear distinction that we see in ourselves? Any any comments or question on that? Okay, I have three. Uh Jeff.

And pride.

Oh, this is the one that we’re all saying.

Well Jeffrey’s saying, you know, at times people’s pride, their arrogance, their knowledge cause them to be arrogant and they think they’re better than other people and their own ideas coming. Bernice, Rufus, and then Justin.

So I just have to be big online.

And yet the lives are clouds and both things. They have this big black or the development of that work we want to treat. That’s what we don’t work with.

What it made me think about in terms of how I see things out, you know, we just had the floor topic lectures and you know, you have authors of other spiritual books and curriculum and you know, so that inputs and uh here. Sometimes we we say things like, Well, what so and so says what so and so cares, and I mean we do it in this class, or in Bob.

You know, and it’s a blessing to have the scholarly uh ability to write and publish and what have you. But at the end of the day, it’s not Bob, it’s not Bobby Adams, green body. It’s quite deep. And we can easily, without not without knowing, get locked into the person versus Christ. And if that person that introduced us or caused these things stumbles in some way, we sometimes, if we’re not careful, we’ll stumble because we will be following him versus the word of God. You’re right, Justin. I think Paul’s still addressing that that column line in the first thing. You know, in in in our world today, uh, we have different options, we have different educations, we have different ways that we come about our world division as happy.

But with Christ, that all those differences are fixed. We’re all the same. We have the same thing. We have the same word. Uh we have the same things available to us. So we’re no longer separated by worldly belief, but we got brought together and have that same spiritualism that’s available to all.

Um during Christ.

And and I think this is what Paul, that is what Paul was was really aiming at. You know, this this congregation had issues. And the in this first four chapters. I think Paul nipped in the butt if you want to say the first part of it, okay. If you’re gonna be choosing men and and putting one man above the other, all this is prideful, and what that does, it’s just gonna divide the church. Because, I mean, we all have different tastes, different abilities and and everything, and once we we take Christ out the picture and start choosing man and basing our faith on who this man is because of for whatever reason, that is really only gonna cause division. And in the first in these first uh couple of chapters, I think that is what he’s doing.

And why are they putting man because when we look at the culture at the time and what was happening, people like the idea of this um rhetoric and people being able to speak well? I’m sure some of these guys who were even claiming I’m of Paul or Apollos, they might have been more eloquent speakers than Paul himself or Peter or these guys. So they they had a following there. So he had to deal with that issue. And uh at least I think what he did here in these in these couple of chap verses six to thirteen is really show the the stupidity of what they were doing. Because this is starting from oh Paul, Apollos, or Peter, and he’s saying, okay, look at our lives, look at what is really going on with us.

We’re being persecuted. Sometimes we barely have enough clothes on our backs. We’re weak. We’re beaten, we’re homeless. As we as we look at Paul’s journey through the book of Acts, it’s like everywhere he went and things started going good, there was persecution. And over and over through his life. And yes, we have known from history that these men they met horrible death. And yet still people are being puffed up in the eyes of the world in the name of these men. I mean, that that sounds stupid. Very stupid. But Paul wanted to elevate Jesus Christ and the gospel, the preaching of the cross. Now, that really might be even more silly than what the people were talking about. But the difference is when Paul speaks about Christ, and yes, him dying on the cross, he has proof that Christ is no longer in the grave.

There is power in the preaching of the gospel. And well, he this is what he will even deal with down in the in a few other verses, the few verses later.

But as my beloved children, I warn you. When you consider his arguments from verse 6 to 13. Yes, these guys who were being puffed up in the name of Paul or Apollos. And Paul showed the irony of it. I mean, look at our lives. Look at what we’re going through. And you’re being puffed up in our name. Yes, some definitely would be ashamed. But that wasn’t his purpose. It’s sort of like you see a little kid running around, being in a position where he’s gonna hurt himself, and you say, hey, stop that. And he, you know, folds up and starts crying. He’s ashamed because he gets caught. But the idea of the parent looking out for the child is not to shame him, but just to warn him or correct him.

I think this is the same idea here. Now he wants them to, or he reminds them that they came, they came to Christ through his preaching.

Now, as to what we were disc we’re talking about earlier, so it is it right to imitate a man in chapter 11 and verse 1, he uses the same term. Be imitators of me as what? As I follow Christ. So, yes, it is good that we we have many many brethren who are scholarly and they they really dive into things, all the meaning of the words, and help us understand things better. But all in all, we must be people like the Bereans, where we have to spend time in the Word of God as well and search the scriptures to see if these things are really so.

Josh.

He’s not saying it’s vote of cause or any other teaching conversation. He says, We in verse 10 are fools of Christ, that you were proven to Christ. What’s the invitation? Leave this role in wisdom. Come to truth. Follow Christ, whatever it costs you, certainly the call of Paul’s teaching the gospel. And that’s that’s the emphasis here is just get away from this mindset that they’re living in, and the gospel mindset they’re taking following to take.

I mean, that that’s it is also important here. And he says, as I teach everywhere in every church.

Early on, when he said not to think of beyond what is written, from chapter one, maybe he had mentioned a few passages from the Old Testament to make his point. Here we’re seeing him saying, look, these things that I have taught, it’s not just to you, but it’s in every church. There’s uniformity there. The things that he’s talking about, it’s what he’s been teaching everywhere. Now, for us today, there, I guess that is why books like these are so important to us. One, the apostles, as they were teaching, as inspired men of God, we’re now looking at, okay, what is written. So what we have for us today, it’s the same attitude that we should have. We should not go beyond what is written. And the things that are taught should be in every church, every every place.

We should not go beyond what is writtenow it would appear that some of these brethren were were puffed up to the point thinking, oh, he sends Timothy. So that means maybe he’s not coming. And Paul is making it clearly, look, surely I’m gonna come, if the Lord’s if the Lord wills. And to know, know for certain, maybe know the guys, the people who were being puffed up, to know their words, maybe their manner or or or style of of speaking. And to compare, I guess, their wisdom to the simple message of the of the gospel of Christ, in which there is true power. You know, when when I first read this passage, I was wondering if if he was actually talking about miraculous power or something like that.

But you know, from a careful examination of it, that doesn’t seem to be the point here. Even though I think maybe the Corinthian brethren had were able to work miracles or not necessarily work miracles, but they had the miracle of prophecy and things like that, which we’ll see later. I don’t think this is the point here.

In which there is true power. And he sort of make that firm when he says, For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. The kingdom of God is not in being able to speak well, eloquently, being persuasive in having people listening to you and acting accordingly. But it’s in the simple message of the cross of Christ. As he would mention in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 18, and what he also said in Romans chapter 1 and verse 16, he’s not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to the Jews first and also to the Greek.

How do you want me to come to you? With a rod or in love in the spirit of gentleness.

If people are falling, going astray from the word of God, so to speak, come with a rod. And there are times maybe all we need is gentle encouragement, exhortation to keep keep going along the path. There’s from chapter 1 up to this point. I think maybe one of the main things we can take from that.

And I think this is what Paul was getting at. One, the cause of it, man’s pride. They put in people or a man above above Jesus Christ. All being popped up in their pride, causing the division in the church. And Paul is trying to say no. All we need to do is to stick to the simple truth, the simple message message of the cross, in which there is the true power. And we’ll see later on that he has many other things to deal with, some of the issues in the church. Any other comments and questions before we close?

Verse uh 20, where he says, but the kingdom of God is not a word, but a power. And then he said, What do you want? A God or love and the spirit of gentlemen. We spoke about that for a three person. To me, it’s the true love of God, that that’s where the power of the God. And it may be a power that is time has to have that body of chase me. But that’s not what it is. Okay, and it’s totality. It’s greater than that. Yeah, I mean, if if the rod is coming out, it’s gonna be with love. Yeah. All right. Well, thanks for your attention and participation this morning.